AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Really?” Rachel asked. “All by yourself?”
“Auntie Lydia helped,” Tammy said.
“I did those sprinkles over there,” Benjamin said, pointing to a cluster of sprinkles that looked like he’d dumped half the bottle in one place.
“I love it,” Rachel said with a smile. I laughed, watching the scene unfold.
Rachel was such a good mother. I could only aspire to be like her one day.
One day soon—having children wasn’t in my distant future anymore. I still had to tell everyone, but I would do that one of these days. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay first.
Tom and Lydia would stay with Rachel a couple of days longer to help with the kids while she got back on her feet before they went back to their lives. Aaron landed tomorrow, and Randall would pick him up and bring him through. He’d had a last-minute work emergency pop up that he hadn’t been able to get out of, and we’d assured both of them we had it covered until they got here.
The family would be together again for the first time in a while, and I was excited to see my siblings all under one roof.
We cut the cake and all had a piece—even Rachel, although she didn’t finish hers—before Tom announced he was taking the kids to the beach.
“Really?” I asked.
“I promised we could go when the weather was good and it’s pretty good out there.”
“Beach time, beach time, beach time,” the kids started chanting.
“You two can spend some time together,” Lydia said with a grin. “We’re a phone call away if you need anything. I took care of dinner, we just have to heat it up when we get back from the beach.
“You’re a saint,” I said to her. “I don’t know what we would have done without you. Either of you.”
“That’s what family’s for,” Tom said and planted a kiss on my temple before he and Lydia left with the kids, and Rachel and I were alone.
She sank back onto her pillows, letting her mask slip away. She looked exhausted and in pain.
“What can I do?” I asked.
“You can tell me what’s going on with you,” Rachel said.
“I meant for the pain.”
“My pain will go away. What about yours?”
I frowned. “I’m not in pain.”
Rachel gave me a pointed look. “I know you, Mackie. I can see something’s up. You’re trying to be strong for me but you don’t have to anymore. I’m okay. Tell me what’s going on.”
I sighed, and a lump rose in my throat. Rachel had always been able to read me like a book. I could never hide anything from her, so I told her what was on my mind. I told her everything that had happened, all the way from Troy betraying me and the presentation going sour, ending our relationship and my chance at a future with Griffin Solutions, to the fact that I was pregnant with his baby.
Rachel listened quietly, letting me get it all out there before she responded.
Finally, she frowned.
“You’re pregnant.”
I nodded.
“Does he know?”
“No,” I said. “And I’m not going to tell him, either. I don’t need him to treat me like a charity case on top of everything else just because I have no idea how to figure out my finances after not getting the contract.”
“Sweetheart, it’s not charity if he’s helping out with the baby. It’s his job.”
